at the hands of sb
prep. phr..prep. phr.. to experience something bad because of another person's actions or power.
prep. phr.. a prepositional phrase used to indicate the agent responsible for a negative experience, suffering, or defeat; often used in passive or semi-passive contexts.
He suffered great cruelty at the hands of his captors.
The team suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of their local rivals during the final match.
Many small businesses faced bankruptcy at the hands of the aggressive new tax regulations introduced by the ministry last year.
almost always used to describe negative outcomes like suffering, defeat, or death.
point out that 'hands' is figurative here, representing the power or agency of the person or group mentioned.
at the hand of the enemyat the hands of the enemythe phrase is fixed in the plural form 'hands' regardless of whether it refers to one person or a group.